


A Combat Medic's Rules

by Kaito_Dragneel



Series: Paranormal Domino [13]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Combat Medic rules, Fives loves his brothers, Gen, Jesse is a good bro, Kix Needs A Hug, Kix is a good medic, brothers being brothers, clones needs hugs, ghost!fives, he doesn't think he is though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-03
Updated: 2020-05-03
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:55:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23977063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaito_Dragneel/pseuds/Kaito_Dragneel
Summary: The Combat Medic’s rules are simple.1) Good men will die.2) Doc can’t save everyone.3) Doc will go through hell to break rules 1 and 2. -United States Marine Core
Relationships: CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix
Series: Paranormal Domino [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1715857
Comments: 2
Kudos: 189





	A Combat Medic's Rules

It was the _Captain_ that convinced Kix to drag Jesse to sit with him in front of the EVP device for the second time. He honestly didn’t see the point in trying to talk to their ghost friend again, when it was _clear_ that the ghost was only showing itself to Rex. But… Kix would follow Rex’s lead and talk to the damn thing.

The two had set up in the ARC Trooper dorms. With Fives gone, Torrent didn’t have any ARCs so the room was _always_ empty save the few who had known Fives and Echo personally. The ones who had known the Domino Twins came to this room to grieve or to have a room of silence. Everyone else just avoided the room. Kix didn’t really know what had caused him to pick the room, he had just acted on instinct.

“Kix… what _exactly_ are we trying to accomplish here,” Jesse asked beside him, cocking his head at him.

That… was a _very_ good question. Kix didn’t know what they were trying to accomplish. He just knew that Rex had told them to try again. To try and talk to their resident ghost for a reason. Kix sighed softly as he leaned into Jesse, knocking his head into Jesse’s, pressing into a Keldabe. Jesse was quiet at that, relaxing into their small moment, forehead against forehead. The two had been through _thick_ and _thin_ together. From Kamino to Christophis to Saleucami to _Umbara_ to Ringo Vinda and now, here. Through thick and thin. They had lost Hardcase on Umbara… Kix could still feel the ache in his chest from the loss of their batchmate. He didn’t know what their Captain wanted him to hear from this ghost, but… but their Captain had kept them alive _this_ long, so he would trust his judgment.

“I don’t know, but the Captain thinks it’s important,” Kix said softly, enjoying the quiet in the room.

“If the Captain thinks it’s a good ide-”

_Crackle-crick-creak_

Both medic and scout freeze, turning their gazes on the EVP device sitting on the bunk in front of them. They were sitting on Echo’s bunk, Fives’ death was still too fresh to them, so they had set the device on his bunk. Kix shivered lightly as the room dropped about ten degrees. The lights flickered slightly and the glass over them frosted over lightly. Jesse pulled back from Kix and sat up straighter. Kix swallowed heavily as he eyed the device on Fives’ bunk. The EVP was _supposed_ to help them hear the ghost, to communicate with it. He still wasn’t sure how it was supposed to work or if their ghost even had a voi-

_Tap tap._ “I’m here.”

Jesse jerked lightly at the tapping noise, nearly moving to stand up. Kix grabbed his wrist, holding it in a tight grip, keeping the scout from going anywhere. It _wasn’t_ a voice. It was a simple tapping sound. A series of taps used by troopers. A finger hitting on the metal railing of the bunk in front of them. The sound nearly made the medic nauseous. The ghost was a trooper. A trooper he had _failed_ to save. Kix made a soft noise of pain. That sadness he had been met with the first time he had talked to the ghost made much more sense now. This was a trooper that he had _failed_ to _save_ somehow.

_Tap tap tip tap tap tip tap tap tap tip tip tap tap._ “Don’t feel guilty, vod. You couldn’t have done anything.”

Kix begged to differ. There could have been a _million_ things he could have done. There could have been so many things he could have done to save a lot of brothers. This trooper wouldn’t be _dead_ if he was better at being a _medic_. If he was _better_ at-

“Kix, vod, stop. I can see your brain working. We talked about this. You _can’t_ save everyone.” Jesse cut off his train of thought, voice soft and careful. Jesse, _strong_ and _faithful_ Jesse. His rock in all this mess. Kix took a deep breath as he calmed himself down a little, giving a shaky nod. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Kix breathed out shakily, burying closer to Jesse as he eyed the EVP.

_Tap tap tap tap tap tip tip tip tap tip tap tap tip tap tip tip tap._ “I’m sorry, I had to work up the courage to talk to anyone. I wanted Rex to be the first I spoke with though.”

“That’s…. Is there a way to help you, vod? Any way at all?” Kix’s voice was soft and broken. There’s several vod that called their Captain by his name freely, and all of them, save him and Jesse, were dead. The information did narrow down who the ghost might be, but… it didn’t narrow it down by _much_. Kix reached out and held on to Jesse’s hand, searching for any sort of grounding. The scout offered as much comfort as he could, needing some himself. “A way to help you pass on? Someone to search for? Information you need or need to give?”

_Tap tip tip tip tap tip tap tap tip tap tip tip tip tap tap tap tip tap tip tip tap tip tip tap tip tap tap tip tap tip tip tip._ “Oh, vod. I already gave Rex the information. I’m not sure… how you can help with my current state. I’m not really complaining though. I miss you guys. I just wanted to talk. Fitting that you picked this room to do it in.”

_Jesse_ was the one who reacted to that, a pained noise coming from him, his free hand rising up to grab at their brother only to realize there was nothing to grab, but the EVP. The _cadence_ of the tapping, the way the sentences were _worded_ , the use of _Rex_ instead of Captain, the fact that _this_ room was fitting. The information was all that Jesse and Kix needed to identify their ghost.

“Fives,” Jesse whispered, pained and voice cracking in grief.

_Tip tap tip tap tap tip tap tip tip tip tap tap tap tip tap tip._ “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere just yet. I made a promise to watch your backs. I plan to keep it.”

Kix laughed, the sound _wet_ and _broken_. Typical of Fives to be the protective one, even if the ARC was younger than them. It was a habit of the ARC’s. A habit that Kix had _missed_ so dearly ever since Fives had been shot dead in that warehouse. Jesse turned his head and pressed it against Kix’s temple, tears falling down his cheeks.

_Tip tap tip tap tap tip tap tap tap tip tap tip._ “Oi, don’t cry for me. I’m fine. I promise.”

“You’re dead, you di’kut. Let us cry,” Jesse snapped sadly, the heat behind the words replaced with grief and exasperation.

_Tap tip tap._ “Still. Don’t.”

“You’re still a di’kut, Fives. Dead or alive,” Kix laughed again, still a little broken, but… happier.

Fives was still around enough to be a pain in the shebs. That’s all the medic could ask for. He couldn’t break rules 1 and 2 for Fives, but… Fives was already a rule breaker. Fives broke them himself. In a very strange way.

**Author's Note:**

> Mando'a  
> Keldabe: A mandalorian kiss, helmets or foreheads being pressed together  
> Vod: brother  
> Di'kut: idiot  
> Shebs: ass


End file.
